Through [Christ] God reconciled everything to himself.  He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

(Colossians 1:20, NLT) 

I heard about an office that had an unusual answering machine message. Callers were instructed to leave their name and address — and to spell any difficult words.

One Monday morning, as the secretary reviewed the weekend’s messages, she came across one that made her smile. An enthusiastic young woman recited her name and address, then added cheerfully, “My difficult word is reconciliation. R-E-C-O-N-C-I-L-I-A-T-I-O-N.”

Reconciliation can indeed be a “difficult word.” Not so much to understand, but to live out. Webster defines “reconcile” as “to restore to friendship or harmony.”  It’s a word that applies to broken relationships: a husband hoping to be reconciled to his estranged wife, a parent longing to be reconciled to a wayward child, or most importantly, a lost sinner who needs to be reconciled to God.

Understanding reconciliation is fairly simple. Putting it into practice is far more challenging. Anyone who has witnessed family conflict knows how stubborn pride, past wounds, or unresolved anger can keep people apart. And when it comes to our relationship with God, reconciliation may feel even more daunting. We recognize our failures, our sins, our unworthiness. How could a holy God ever be reconciled to us?

A man once went to a preacher about family problems. Struggling with the right words, he said, “Me and my wife need a re-cancellation.”  He meant reconciliation, but his slip carried truth: real reconciliation requires a “re-cancellation.” Something must be erased — and in our case, that something is sin.

That’s exactly what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Our sins — our offenses, our failures — were canceled through his sacrifice. That cancellation made reconciliation possible.

As Paul wrote to the Colossians: “Through [Christ] God reconciled everything to himself.  He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” (Colossians 1:20, NLT) 

What a powerful promise! Reconciliation with God is made possible through what Christ did on the cross. Thanks be to God that this “difficult word” is not only possible, but a glorious reality.

Prayer: Father, thank you for reconciling us to yourself through the cross of Christ. Where sin once separated us, your love has brought us near and made peace possible. Help us to extend that same grace and forgiveness to others.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day